Messages about physical attractiveness in animated cartoons

Relying upon a content analysis of one specific type of medium to which young people are exposed beginning at an early age, on a regular basis, and for many years (i.e., animated cartoons), the present study examines what types of messages are provided about being physically unattractive, physically attractive, and ordinary-looking. This research concerns itself with identifying the characteristics that tend to be associated with being good-looking or unattractive, and then discussing the implications of the findings. Results indicate that many variables were found to differ based on cartoon characters’ physical attractiveness, including gender, age, intelligence, body weight, emotional states experienced, prosocial behaviors, antisocial behaviors, and overall goodness/badness. Whenever differences were found, the overriding tendency was for cartoons to provide positive messages about being attractive and negative messages about being unattractive.     

The effect of multiple roles on caregiver stress outcomes

Some caregivers focus exclusively on the caregiving role; others try to balance caregiving responsibilities with a simultaneous work role outside the home. This study examined competing hypotheses about the impact that greater immersion in a work role would have on the stress outcomes of individuals who provide care for a person with a disability. The authors used national survey data to examine whether hours of work were associated with caregiver stress outcomes. The authors also investigated whether type of disability moderated the relationship between hours worked and stress outcomes. Results suggest that spending more time in a work role generally has no effect on caregiver stress outcomes. However, caregivers who were caring for a person with a mental disability experienced significantly fewer stress outcomes as they spent more hours engaged in outside work.     

Before Language and After

It has been assumed by some writers that Wittgenstein's talk of primitive reactions amounts to a theory of concept formation out of instinctive behaviour. Others have argued that Wittgenstein is thinking of reactions within language-games, which therefore belong to its structure not its origins . The author concurs, but argues that Wittgenstein also has in mind that it belongs to the grammars of certain concepts that the language-games in which they lie are themselves supplementary to natural behavioural forms. This provides a context in which the notion of pre-linguistic behaviour may be employed legitimately in philosophy whilst avoiding unjustified theorising.     

Childhood play and adolescent leisure preferences: Associations with gender typing and the presence of siblings

Childhood play and adolescent leisure preferences were solicited from a sample of 168 predominately white undergraduate students, who also completed the Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI; Bem, 1974) and provided ratings of the amount of time spent in play and leisure with same- and opposite-sex siblings. Higher Femininity (F) scores were found among those females who gave higher ratings of interaction with female siblings. The BSRI measures were also predicted by play and leisure preferences for strongly gender-stereotyped activities. Amount of interaction with same- and opposite-sex siblings was associated with activity preferences for both sexes. There was evidence of more sex-stereotyped preferences being given by those with same sex siblings and fewer by those with opposite sex siblings. The results are discussed in terms of the possible influences of siblings upon play and leisure preferences and the differing developmental pathways of male and female sex roles.     

Personality of Counselors and Administrators

The Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire was administered to 41 counselors and 41 administrators enrolled in graduate courses at Auburn University. The scores were compared in terms of individual factors and profiles. A discriminate analysis of scores correctly identified counselors in 31 out of 40 cases while principals were classified correctly in 34 out of 41 cases. Five factors found to be significantly different (P < .05) between counselors and administrators were: Factor C (Emotional vs Mature, Calm), Factor G (Expedient vs Conscientious), Factor I (Tough-Minded vs Tender-Minded), Factor L (Trusting vs Suspicious), and Factor N (Forthright vs Shrewd).     

A factor analytic study of structural family therapy constructs

The lack of empirical work on therapists' use of Structural Family Therapy (SFT) concepts is discussed. The important SFT dimensional models are briefly reviewed. Three groups of therapists were required to make judgements of video-taped interviews using a set of SFT concepts. The data were factor analysed and the results discussed in terms of the relationship between the therapists' produced factors and theoretical models of SFT.